Folding bed



I. F. CLARK FOLDING BED May 7, 1940.

Filed June 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l w u h 6 Mn n e m r Va M \l MM N. l Tl. v E Q g? TllflfiVlllll/flllunfll"FilllflwMWf W May 7, 1940.

I. F. CLARK 2.199.741

FOLDING BED Filed June 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q \nveflov Ivan T? Clark ATEmeg; I

Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATE3 PATENT OFFICE FOLDING BED Ivan F. Clark, Ionia, Mich.

Application June 8, 1939, Serial No. 278,018

9 Claims. (01. 5-36) This invention relates to a folding bed which, when it is in its folded position, occupies relatively little space and may be used as an ottoman, bench or seat. In its unfolded position it 5 is considerably extended and is of proper length and width that it may be utilized as a bed, being very readily returned to itsfolded position when not in use.

It is a primary object and purpose of the pres- 10 ent invention to provide a particularly simple, novel and effective folding bed structure which can be readily and economically manufactured and assembled, and easily folded or unfolded, all of which will appear as an understanding of the 15 invention is had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1. is a longitudinal vertical section and side elevation illustrating the bed in its unfolded 2o position.

25 been folded and a cushion applied at the upper side thereof.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bed unfolded.

Fig. 5 is a plan view and horizontal section through Fig. 3, taken at a plane in the upper 30 portion of said figure, and

Fig. 6 is a section and elevation illustrating a detail of construction involving the outer support of the bed when unfolded.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in 35 the different figures of the drawings.

The central section of the bed includes a boxlike supporting structure having vertical parallel sides l, vertical parallel ends 2, and a bottom 3, being supported by corner foot members 4, as 40 shown. At the inner side of each side i a horizontal bar 5 is attached a distance below the upper edges of said sides, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

At the. inner side of each end 2 are vertical 5 grooves 6 and I, the former shorter than the latter. Said grooves are located adjacent but spaced a short distance inward from the adjaoent sides I. The grooves have closed ends and the upper ends of all of the grooves are at substantially the same height.

Two frames are provided having side members 8 which at their inner ends are turned at right angles as indicated at 9. The side members are connected by cross frame bars located a dis- 55 tance inward from the outer ends of the side members 8 and likewise a short distance from the right angle bent end sections 9. Between the sides and ends of the frames straps ll of metal are located and secured at their outer ends so as to divide the space enclosed by the frame and provide a supporting structure upon which a mattress may be placed. Adjacent the free ends of the right angle bent sections 9, each side 3 of the frame carries a pin which may have a roller l2 thereon, the roller being received in the 10 grooves 6 and l, as best shown in Fig. 5. Likewise adjacent the inner ends of the side members 8 of the frames are outwardly projecting pins I3, the purpose of which will later appear.

The frame structures which have been described are adapted to be folded inwardly and lie one over the other within the box-like central section of the bed, as shown in Fig. 3. The frame which is associated with the longer vertical grooves "I will lie atthe bottom portion of the box and the other, associated with the shorter grooves 8, immediately above it. Lifting the uppermost frame in Fig. 3 and turning it outwardly through an arc of substantially 180, as shown in Fig. 2, thereupon frees the lowermost frame to be likewise turned outwardly and lifted, the two frames extending away from each other over the upper edges of the opposite sides 1 of the central section. A center frame of rectangular form having sides IE and i5 is completed by metal straps It, as shown in Fig. 4. The frame members of all of these frames are preferably made from angle iron bars, and the vertical legs of the bars M are recessed at each end for reception of the pins l3, whereby, as shown in Fig. 1, the open upper end of the center section of the bed is cocupied bya central frame which is supported at its corners by the pins it, all of the frames thus described being in horizontal alinement.

At the outer end of each of the folded frames an additional extension frame is pivotally connected. Such extension frame comprises frame bars I! and i8, likewise of angle iron formation, permanently connected together. And one end of each of the bars I1 has a pivotal connection at E9 to a vertical flange of a frame bar 8 of the folding frame. The horizontal leg of each bar I! is off-set downwardly at one end, as indicated at 29 in Fig. 6, so that when the extension frame is unfolded into horizontal alinement with the other-frames as in Figs. 1 and 4, such off-set portion comes underneath the horizontal leg of its associated bar 8. Such extension end frames, like the other frames, are equipped with cross straps 2| for the same purpose.

At the outer ends of the extension frames a bail 22 may be pivotally mounted or it may be mounted upon one only of said frames, as shown.

When the bed is completely unfolded, between the adjacent vertical legs of the angle iron frame bars Ill and I8, as in Fig. 6, and at each end of the first described folding frames, a leg 23 is inserted at its upper end. The upper edges of the legs come against the ofi-set parts 20, and the vertical leg of angle bar I 8 bears against the outer edge of the leg 23, as shown in Fig. 6. The legs 23 are each longitudinally slotted as at 24, and associated therewith is a bracing link 25 pivotally connected at one end to an adjacent bar 8 and slidably and adjustably connected at the other end of the slot 24, as shown in Fig. 1. This link with the connected leg 23 may be folded underneath its associated bar 8. The legs 23 provide a support for the outer portions of the frames which have the side bars 8, and also they provide a support for the outermost extension frames. It is of course to be understood that other supporting legs might be pivotally connected to the outer ends of the extension frames to serve as additional supports if needed.

The construction described is very readily foldable into a small compass. In the operation of folding the bed from the position, in Figs. 1 and 4 to that shown in Fig. 3, the legs 23 with the attached bracing links 25 are first folded underneath the bars 8, then the extension frames are folded underneath the first described folding frames. The next step is to move the folding frame which is associated with the longer vertical grooves i into the box-like central section, to occupy a lower position therein, as in Fig. 3. The same process is repeated for the other end of the bed. Then the center frame is laid upon the bars 5, after which a cushion 26 may be placed upon such center frame, as in Fig. 2. The construction, as previously stated, is very useful and practical, readily produced, and is very easily manipulated to either its folded or unfolded position.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. In combination, a box-like central section having an open top, and foldable sections adapted to be folded within said central section, one over the other, combined with means for pivotally and movably mounting said foldable sections on the central section, whereby said foldable sections may be elevated and turned outwardly away from each other over the upper edges of the sides of the central section and lie in the same horizontal plane, as specified.

2. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 1, combined with a central frame section, and interengaging means thereon and on said foldable sections when said foldable sections are in outwardly extended unfolded position for detachably connecting said frame section with the foldable sections to lie in the same horizontal plane therewith and directly over the open top of said box-like central section.

3. In a construction of the class described, a central box-like section having upwardly extending sides and ends, said ends at their inner faces and adjacent each side having a vertical groove therein, all of the grooves having closed upper ends in substantially the same horizontal plane, and the grooves adjacent one side of the central section extending downwardly farther than those at the other side, foldable sections including side bars at one end turned at right angles, and means connected at the free end of said right angle turned portions slidably and pivotally mounted in said grooves, whereby the foldable sections may be folded to lie within said box-like section, one over the other, or elevated and turned outwardly in opposite directions; to bear against the upper edges of the sides of the central box-like section and hold said foldable sections in the same horizontal plane.

4. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 3, combined with pins extending laterally from said bars of said foldable sections adjacent the inner ends thereof, and a central frame section having spaced apart bars recessed at their ends for reception of said pins, whereby the central frame section is releasably held in the same horizontal plane with the foldable sections and over the upper open top of the central box-like section.

5. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 3, combined with supporting legs connected with and foldable against a side of said foldable sections, and adapted to be turned outwardly to operative position and extend downwardly and outwardly from the outer ends of said foldable sections when they are in horizontal operative position.

6. In combination, a box-like central section having an open top, foldable sections, one adapted to extend outwardly over the upper edge of each side thereof and lie in the same horizontal plane, means for pivotally and slidably conhingedly connected to the outer ends of said foldable sections, adapted to be turned outwardly and lie in the same horizontal plane therewith or folded underneath the same prior to returning said foldable sections to within the central section.

7. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 6, combined with supporting legs adapted to be inserted at their upper .ends at the outer corners of said foldable sections, and against which said extension sections when extended outwardly are adapted to engage to hold said extension sections in horizontal position.

8. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 6, combined with extension sections pivotally connected one to the outer end of each of said foldable sections and adapted to be turned outwardly to lie in the same horizontal plane therewith, and supporting legs, one at each outer corner of each of said foldable sections adapted to be inserted between said foldable and extension sections and support the extension sections in their unfolded horizontal position, said legs being horizontally slotted at their lower portions, and a link pivotally and slidably connected at one end with each leg at the slotted portion thereof and pivotally connected at its opposite end to an adjacent side of its associated foldable section.

9. In combination, a box-like central section having an open top and upwardly extending sides and ends, foldable sections slidably and pivotally mounted at one end on and adapted to lie between the ends of said central section and adapted to be received therewithin, one over the other,

foldable sections and the ends of said center frame for releasably connecting said center frame with the foldable sections to lie in the same horizontal plane therewith when they are extended outwardly in operative position away from each 5 other.

IVAN F. CLARK. 

